The 0.9% price drop in prescription drug prices during the month of December was the largest seasonally adjusted change in the 45 years that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been keeping tabs on such pharmaceuticals, since February 1969. In turn, that has brought about the largest seasonally adjusted change in medical care commodities, a fall of 0.8%, in a general category that includes all types of drugs as well as medical equipment. BLS has been tracking the commodities category since March 1948.

The CPI report pointed out other interesting records that were achieved in related categories, though they don’t have they same history as prescription drugs. Non-prescription drugs also experienced a record change with a 0.9% seasonally adjusted drop in prices. And the general category of medicinal drugs posted a 1% record drop during the month. BLS started keeping track of both categories in 2010.

Another category that has been tracked since 2010, medical equipment, didn’t set a record but it kept dropping during the month, down 0.5%. That’s on top of the 1.1% decline the category experienced in November. Further, the year-to-year numbers show a 1.6% fall in unadjusted pricing.

About Health Exchange

Health Exchange guides investors to the crucial market intelligence they need to keep up with the health care industry, which makes up one-sixth of the U.S. economy. Anchored by Russ Britt, Health Exchange is the essential site for those looking for the most important news, data and analysis on the sector. You can reach Russ at Rbritt@marketwatch.com.